Call for strict respect of traffic rules ahead of school break off

The Rwanda National Police (RNP) department of traffic and road safety has reminded public transporters to observe road safety standards especially during the evacuation of students come next week, when schools are breaking off for holidays.

The commissioner for the traffic department, Commissioner of Police (CP) George Rumanzi noted that traffic crashes tend to be high during increased movements of the school break off and festive season due to the inappropriate behavior of drivers that over speed to make many shifts.

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“Measures have been undertaken to oversee safe movements of vehicles transporting students back home and the highway traffic has also made it their priority to ensure smooth traffic-flow while taking punitive measures against the offenders,” CP Rumanzi said.

Commissioner of Police George Rumanzi, the commissioner for the traffic department

Schools are scheduled to break off between November 1 and 3, but this will be done in shifts according to regions, as per the instructions by the Ministry of Education.

Schools in the City of Kigali, Huye, Nyanza, Muhanga and Kamonyi in the Southern Province, and those from Rusizi and Nyamasheke in the Western will break off on November 1.

Schools in other districts in the Southern and Western provinces will close on November 2 while those in the Eastern and Northern provinces will close on November 3.

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“This is a national programme that equally requires due attention from all stakeholders including transporters, schools, parents and the police to ensure that all safety measures are respected and undertaken; we don’t want to enforce penalties but we will if the situation necessitates to prevent crashes and ensure the safety of the people,” he noted.

He observed that transporters tend to drive on high speed to scramble for passengers and maximize money by making as many shifts as possible which increases risks of fatal accidents.

He also warned against overloading and called for respect of the insurance which specifies the maximum number of people on board.

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“We have also witnessed inappropriate behavior of some drivers who take-off as passengers try to enter or get off the car injuring them in the process, which should stop.”

CP Rumanzi also appealed to the management of transport companies to equally own the process and ensure the sobriety of their drivers.